musco4me:
Hmmmm. Guy, if ur an atm custodian... .

GboyegaD:
I worked in 2 different banks during my time in the industry. I worked in e-banking operations and then moved to asset remedial management.
I left a little over 4years to pursue something I like i.e. graduate degree. I loved everything about banking particularly my days in asset remedial management.

Breadfruit:
Hello all.

I don't think there is a thread like this at the moment.
I am a banker, a marketer.

We all know it hasn't been a walk in the park for the banking industry in recent times-job loss, the gruelling schedule, the politics. the killing targets, manipulative colleagues, the economy and so on.

For current bankers, how do you survive as a banker and keep your head above water?

For ex bankers, how is life outside banking? Did you quit? Were you pulled out by the lure of another job or were you sacked?

Soon to be bankers, how prepared are you for the banking life?

Personally, as a marketer, it's not funny. I guess that's why people say bankers are stingy, as money is not made as easily as a civil servant would for example. So someone like me is as careful as can be when it comes to money.

Please let us all interact as adults.

scobaba:
I was sacked then by oceanic bank on Dec 21st 2009. It was the first tsunami. I felt like i would die. Like all hope was lost. But then i picked myself up, wrote a couple of professional exams including ican. Also enrolled for masters. Life was not easy then i must tell you. But i had tym to try several tyns same tym. 6 months after i lost dat, i got a small job dat still gave me time to run all my programmes comfortably. However, i dint have spare money for grooves and chicks like i did then in oceanic.

Finally in 2013, i landed my current job( oil and gas). There was an advert for chatered accountant. I apllied and got it. Tuday, i don hammer........ Small.

My advice. If u r not business inclined, dat is if u still hope to work for somebody, whiile you are doin your bank job, upgrade yourself academically, it wunt be easy oo, but it will pay you someday when the chips are down. Best of staff have lost thier job in banking, so no superstar i must tell you.

Icon4s:


I was with ACCESS Bank from 1-30 November 2005. It was a 1month contract. I landed an Oil Servicing job 1month after I left.

Achiles:


Nice plan. Pls go ahead!

musco4me:
If I can see a non bankn/govt job that pay less of my current salary, i will quickly move!

Guitarlife:


Bross pls stick with lecturing and thank me.later.

airsaylongcon:
Not trying to rain on your parade but there needs to be a distinction between a banker and a bank employee. Loads of people working in banks have the misconception that they are bankers when they aren't. All support staff ancillary to banking operations are NOT bankers (well...apart from the top level managers that set policy) how in God's name is an ICT staff a banker? It's like say a lab scientist is a doctor cos both work in a hospital or a paralegal is a lawyer cos s/he works in a law firm. I'm not advocating the superiority of one profession over another but if we are truly educated and professional as we claim then we must use the right terms. Not all banking staff are bankers just like not all hospital staff are doctors. Banking is a profession not an employer. Good one, if only people can take note of this anomaly,A customer who transact business in a bank is the banker because he/she banks his money in the bank while a person who works in a bank is a bank worker and not a banker.

#Rant

Setaje:
As I type my family friend is in special fraud unit in the island for something he did not commit. All of them working in that particular branch has been suspended. Fraud of 150 million. Not worked in the bank upto a year. That's all I would type before someone decodes.

Breadfruit:


One month contract? What department was it and how was the experience then, though 2005 was a good year in banking....Before the credit crunch....

isobayor:
Well, I worked in the banking sector for 6 years. specifically with defunct Bank PHB(Now keystone bank) and Stanbic IBTC Bank. I worked in ban banking operations for 5 years at different time Customer service person, Fund transfer Officer, Cash Officer, ATM custodian and my last 1 year in the sector was at the head office`s global market unit. While I was there, I have seen myself not going to be in that sector for long,therefore all my income was to develop myself academically and skill acquisition. Eventually, I became Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Practitioner while I was still in the sector. It was after this my achievements I experienced the greatest disappointment and frustration as several interview I attended always being turned down simply because they believe I don't really have good working experience being a banker.Everyone believe the banking experience is dogmatic and therefore I was not employable being an accountant by profession. Thanks to almighty God that I eventually broke the jinx and now working as a senior accountant with a top rated manufacturing company in the country. My advice to everyone is that ,don just stay too long in the sector no matter what your profession is. Always see the sector as a ladder to another opportunities.

musco4me:
By the time u find urself in a branch wit 5 to 8 atms and ur the only one managing all of them with all these monitorings in place and weekend duty, u will wish to run to marketn

Breadfruit:


That's nice. How long would you define as too long to remain in banking.

airsaylongcon:


I tell you the way you have described this atm custodian so I'm now tempted to apply for the opening at the south African bank operating in Nigeria.

I used to work in Supply chain for a firm that provided IT services to a big manufacturing multinational. Banks own still good at least operations completely ceases for a few hours na. Manufacturing is 24hours non stop operations. I've been called at 2am to resolve a problem having left the office at 11pm when my official closing time was 5pm. I've been in a different state and had a 2hour phone call to resolve a bottle neck with emails flying from US to Switzerland with my name as the reason for delays in d supply chain. It got to a point I no dey fear feedback (really brutal tongue lashing) from my immediate manager and his immediate manager. Grew a thick skin so if na just jam or cash out that one na play. I enjoyed the pressure and the pace. Thrived on it sef.

Funny thing is when interviewing for the job we all swiftly answer Yes! when asked "Can you work under pressure?" even claiming to be pressure cooker sef

Icon4s:


Yeah, 1 month contract.Jst 2months after NYSC. U know at dat stage any thing goes.
I was in customer care unit.Abt 30 of us then were recruited in Lagos to assist d Customer care staff in d different branches to fast-track d convertion of former CapitalBank and MarinaBank Customers' accounts to Accessbank and Issue of New AccessBank cash books, after Accessbank acquired both banks ahead of the December 31st, 2005 N25 Billion Minimum capital base deadline.

We worked like jakky. No b small. I hated Banking work ever since. Besides I was then a Fresh Geology graduate and nt cut out for a monotonous tedious job like dat.

beambally:
@Musco - Do u work with Stanbic?

dkby:


@Musco4me, From your complain I can guess your bank, if you have 5 Atms to manage, I think you should have an Atm support staff to assist, and for weekend duty, you should have a weekend roaster where all core staff are suppose to rotate duty. Moreso as an Atm custodian you are expected to rotate that role after 6 months, where rotation is not practice, write your H..D for clarification. My2Cents.

brainiac007:
I'm an ex-banker. I resigned exactly a year ago after 5 years and I'm so so glad I did.

Working as a marketer at the bank was the most depressing, demeaning and frustrating experience I've ever had.

Today, I look back and think, "Why didn't I leave sooner?". Now I have peace of mind and in a job I absolutely enjoy when compared to the bank job and family life has never been better.

Once I was blind, now I can see!

AncientJerk:
Ex Banker here!

My story is a bit different from most though. Firstly I live in a West African country where a number of Nigerian banks have subsidiaries. To cut a long story short, I went into banking for the money and for the prestige (bankers are very highly respected here). I eventually found out that once you start working, what might have seemed like a lot of money, once upon a time, is actually not that much. I was being paid the equivalent of NGN 45k, which is not that bad in this economy, but for some reason was never sufficient for me. I ended up wearing my suit and tie and carrying garri in my bag, to eat at lunch, which would have been alright if i had been enjoying what I was doing but i was miserable!

I quit banking at the age of 23--when most people start--after roughly two years banking experience. Things are much better now.

muchluv:
Banking has its ups and down... back then in the 2007-2009 Era it was a little bit better. Promotions came more frequently. Now it's almost non existence with the race to cut costs everywhere. Before, they use to promote every 2 years, now u can Stay up to 5 years without a promotion.

All the saving money talk sounds so sweet. Easier said than done especially if u have a wealthy family then u have only ur self to take care of. First u get trapped by a bank loan given to staff at a lower rate and then a third of ur salary goes to servicing the loan for a year or two or more. Then as you grow, ur expenses grow.

As a banker it has been stressful but at least I have been able to Pay some bills and acquire some property. We all are looking for a better future but let's have it at the back of our mind, it not so easy anywhere. Ask the musicians with millions, it's not easy to make back to back hits!

govefeoghene:
To be frank, marketing department of banks are the most challenging section to work as most times it requires luck and grace to meet targets.
When you have many banks selling same service with little variations which might appear insignificant to customers while making decisions.
In most cases, marketing gets successful with referral,proximity of the bank to customers and the level of attention paid customers.
I remember my days back then, that was the tool I used in winning many customers....
I told them you can assess anybody within banking hours and you get adequate attention as much as you seeked.
They tried it and twas true... The next thing was my customers referring me to others and doing the marketing on my behalf.
My own was just to open accounts or accept deposit.
I always met targets.